Pants with removable knee inserts

ABSTRACT

A pants system including a patch insert which is inserted in a pocket inside the pants and shows through an opening on front surface of pants. The opening can be positioned relative to knee portion of the pants. The insert can include a coupling member around an edge thereof for connecting to a coupling member formed on an inner surface of the pocket.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to pants in more particular to a pants system with removable knee inserts attached to a pocket located on the inside of the pants providing a user with a pair of pants which can house knee inserts to increase wear life of the pants.

Description of Related Art

Knee pads have been combined with pants to provide a cushioned surface for the knees. U.S. Pat. No. 6,745,398 describes safety pants in which one of a pair of pads has a size designed for covering one of the front knee areas. A fastening assembly is for fastening each one of the pair of pads to an outside of an associated one of the legs for covering the knees of a user.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,380,283 describes knee pads for work pants which are attached by an attachment fastener. Hook and loop fasteners can be used to attach external knee pads to an outer surface of the pants. The kneepads include a durable protective shell.

These patents have the shortcoming that the knee pads on the outer surface of the pants are not secure and can removed from the pants if the pants are used for example by children crawling, rolling or dragging their knees across the ground.

U.S. Patent Application Number 2015/0096095 discloses a pair of pants with pockets for holding various types of knee pads therein. Each of the pockets is positioned on the knee portions of the pants so that it is directly positioned over the wearer's knees when the wearer is wearing the pants. The side edges and the bottom edge of the pockets are stitched to the pants, leaving the top edge open. The pocket further includes a pocket flap that spans the top edge thereof. The upper portion of the pocket and the flap comprise fasteners that can engage so as to close the pocket and prevent the knee pad from escaping the pocket. This patent application has the disadvantage that the pocket attached to the pants will get worn and not the pad inserted into the pocket during wearing of the pants.

It is desirable to provide pants with removable inserts in which removable pads can be expeditiously combined with the pants such that the pads and not the pants are subject to wear and can be easily replaced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a pants system including a patch insert which is inserted in a pocket inside the pants and shows through an opening on a front surface of the pants. The opening can be positioned relative to a knee portion of the pants. The insert can include a coupling member around an edge thereof for connecting to a coupling member formed on an inner surface of the pocket. The coupling members prevent the insert from getting caught or coming off the pants when kids are crawling, rolling, or dragging their knees across the ground.

The insert and the pants can be made of the same material. The insert can be expeditiously received in the pocket and adhered to the pocket. Once the insert is worn it can be un-adhered from the pocket and removed from the pants. The removed insert can be replaced with a new insert to maintain the look of the pants.

The invention will be more fully described by reference to the following drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of pants system including removable knee portions with a knee insert removed.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an inside of the pants system and the inner pocket.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a removable knee insert.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the pants system including removable knee portions with the knee insert inserted in the inner pocket.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in greater detail to a preferred embodiment of the invention, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of pants system 10. Pants system 10 includes an opening 12 on front surface 13 of pants 11. Opening 12 can be positioned relative to each knee portion 14 of leg 15 of pants 11.

Pocket 16 is positioned behind opening 12. Pocket 16 can be attached to inside surface 17 of pants 11 as shown in FIG. 2. Pocket 16 can be attached with stitching 18 to inside surface 17. Alternatively, pocket 12 can be adhered such as with glue or staples to inner surface 17. Pocket 16 includes opening 19 at end 20. End 21 is opposite of end 20. End 21 can be closed by stitching 18. Alternatively, end 21 can be closed by folding material 22 of pocket 16 in half along fold 23. Side 24 and side 25 of pocket 16 can be adhered to inner surface 17 of pants 11 with stitching 18. Coupling members 26 can be formed on an inner surface 27 of pocket 16. Coupling members 26 can be attached around edge 28 of pocket 16.

Insert 30 can include coupling members 32 on rear surface 33 as shown in FIG. 3. Coupling members 32 can be positioned around edge 34 of pocket 16. Front surface 35 is on the opposite side of rear surface 33. Insert 30 has a shape for fitting into pocket 16. Insert 30 can be received in pocket 16 as shown in FIG. 4. Coupling members 32 of insert 30 can adhere to coupling members 26 positioned on inner surface 27 of pocket 16. In one embodiment, coupling members 32 and coupling members 26 are formed of a hook or loop material for interacting with each other and adhering coupling members 32 to coupling members 26. After insert 30 is received in pocket 16, front surface 35 of insert 30 shows through opening 19 to close opening 19.

Pants 11 and insert 30 can be made of the same fabric and pattern. Suitable materials for pants 11 and insert 30 include cotton, denim, linen and cotton and polyester blends. Alternatively, pants 11 and insert 30 can be formed of a different fabric or pattern. Opening 19 and insert 30 can have a similar shape. In one embodiment, opening 19 and insert 30 have a rectangular or square shape.

It is to be understood that the above-described embodiments are illustrative of only a few of the many possible specific embodiments, which can represent applications of the principles of the invention. Numerous and varied other arrangements can be readily devised in accordance with these principles by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A pants system comprising; pants having a knee portion on each leg of the pants; an opening in the pants positioned at the knee portion; a pocket extending behind said opening; and an insert; wherein said insert can be received in said pocket for closing said opening.
 2. The pants system of claim 1 wherein said pants and said insert are formed of the same material.
 3. The pants system of claim 2 wherein said material is cotton, denim, linen or cotton and polyester blends.
 4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a first coupling member attached to said insert and a second coupling member attached to a surface of said pocket, wherein said first coupling member can be removably attached to said second coupling member.
 5. The system of claim 4 wherein said first coupling member and said second coupling member are formed of a hook or loop material.
 6. The system of claim 4 further comprising a plurality of the first coupling members around an edge of said insert and a plurality of second coupling members around an edge of said pocket.
 7. The system of claim 1 wherein sides of said pocket are adhered to an inner surface of said pants with stitching.
 8. The system of claim wherein said pocket has an opening at a top end and a bottom end being closed.
 9. The system of claim 8 wherein said bottom end is closed with stitching.
 10. The system of claims 8 wherein said bottom end is closed by a fold in a material of said pocket.
 11. The system of claim 1 wherein said pocket and said insert have a similar shape.
 12. The system of claim 10 wherein said pocket and said insert have a rectangular or square shape. 